The Erewash Museum

Here are a couple of pictures taken on one of my frequent visits to the Erewash Museum Ilkeston.

I like this museum. I like the exhibits on industrial life. I like the displays of works by local artists (Fred Riley, John Lally and others). I like the Victorian walled garden. I like the old agricultural machinery in the courtyard and I like the volunteers who sell home-made cakes in the Hayloft on event days. I like the fact that it confirms a long-cherished theory of mine that small museums are often the best ones. In case you`re in any doubt, I like this museum. 

If you think you might like it too, more details can be found at www.erewashmuseum.co.uk .   

The Friends of Walter the Writer

Earlier this month I was happy to hear from Keith Chapman, a past editor of The Edgar Wallace Mystery Magazine, who now writes Black Horse Westerns under the name Chap O`Keefe.

Mr Chapman had previously contacted me after reading a review of mine on The Sexton Blake Blog and got in touch to fill in a few gaps in my knowledge of writer Walter Tyrer (see The Cowboy and the Detective, this blog, 14 January 2011).

He has contacted me again  to draw my attention to a review of Rex Hardinge`s The Case of the Frightened Girl which had been posted by Steve Lewis at http://mysteryfile.com/blog on 4 January 2012, and to his subsequent online chat withe estimable Mr Lewis in the comments section. Mr C had some interesting comments on Rex Hardinge`s career and on short story writing generally.

Mystery File is often worth a visit, and you can find more about Keith`s current activities at www.blackhorsewesterns.com and www.fantasticfiction.com/o/chap-okeefe .  

Someone else who has  contacted me in the past concerning my interest in Sexton Blake generally and Walter Tyrer in particular is Ray Elmitt, who currently lives in a house previously occupied by Walter and his family. 

I  was interested to learn that Ray is the author of  a number of books with another in the pipeline. His works to date are ; The High Street Traders of Hampton Wick 1826 - 2011, A Hampton Wick Timeline ; From Domesday to the Present Day and The Grove ; A Story of a House and Home.

Ray is a member of the local history group of The Hampton Wick Association ( www.hamptonwick.org.uk) and details of his books can be found at  www.blurb.com .

  

More About Books #2

It`s quite a while since the first More About Books, but somewhat belatedly, here are my thoughts on a few books I`ve read in the interim ;

Joan Aiken - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

I have to admit this didn`t really work for me.  The book is set in a fictional period in British history during which the country has been inundated by wolves that have migrated here via the Channel Tunnel. The wolves appear quite early in the book but play little part in the main story, the  real predators being a couple of unscrupulous criminals. The two young heroines are loyal and resourceful, which may chime well with modern tastes, but the book`s obvious debt to the more pious sort of Victorian fiction seems incongruous today.  

Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess - Instructions

Neither a poem or a short story, but influenced by both genres, this is pretty unique. I think it will be a bit `marmite` - you`ll either love it or consider it entirely pointless, and I suspect that no amount of persuasion or re-reading of it is likely to change that. Speaking personally, I`m a marmite type of guy and I could return to this book repeatedly and still get something out of it. 

Edward Marston - Railway to the Grave

One of Mr Marston`s Railway Detective novels. Trots along at a nice pace and is well worth looking out for. As I recall, the central character is a bit too in tune with modern sensibilities to be 100% authentic, but there`s really no need to be a purist about these things.  I anticipated that I would enjoy this book but not necessarily feel the need to read any of the others in the series.  In fact, I probably will  try one or two of the others in the fullness of time.

Kate Summerscale - The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

A moderately wonderful true crime book. The author sets out to examine the light cast on Victorian society by this case, to paint a full and rounded picture of the lives of Victorian Police Officers in general, and of Mr Whicher in particular, and to explore the influence on detective fiction of this real-life crime. Reminds me a little of David Levering Lewis` Du Bois biographies in it`s use of almost excessive detail to paint a picture of a bygone age. A rewarding book, but quite challenging. Like Levering Lewis, the author may sometimes have erred on the side of providing  too much detail but nonetheless this is a remarkable achievement.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Should anyone be interested, at present I`m reading a book on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle`s involvement with two true crime cases, those of George Edalji and Oscar Slater. The title etc elude me at present but hopefully I`ll post a review at some point.  

Long Eaton Model Fairground Show 19 Nov 2011

Arundel Alan Amazes Again

This blog has expressed it`s admiration for the works of former Nottinghamshire railwayman A R Dance before.

For anyone who wants to read an interview with the redoubtable Mr D, this may be interesting ;

Martin P Wilson - A R Dance in Conversation - 16 June 2011 at www.thewindingway.com .

Mr Dance, who publishes his work through his own Arundel Books, has three titles to his name (The Chilwell Ghost, Narrow Marsh and Leen Times), with another, The Westbrook Affair on it`s way.

I had hoped to find some sort of pun on the word `dance` for the header of this posting, but sadly my ingenuity failed me !

Stephen L Carter on Books

Stephen L Carter is a big name in books in the US, though I must admit I`d never heard of him until earlier today.

If books are your bag, you may wish to see my posting `Quotation Station 7 November 2011 ; Stephen L Carter on Books`, which was appeared earlier today at http://webdub.blogspot.com .

The Hoonaloon Books Big Bumper Book Sale

The Hoonaloon Books pre-Xmas sale for 2011 has already begun.

During the period 1 November - 27 November 2011, all our titles on ABE Books sites will be discounted by 20% !

We will continue to add new titles regularly, and these also will be discounted until the end of the sale period.

Please note that the discount only applies to books ordered via one of the ABE Books sites ( www.abebooks.com, www.abebooks.co.uk etc ) and that the prices show on those sites have already been discounted - all you have to do is choose a book and place your order.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch.